At the National Grid

At the National Grid
Studio album by
The Bats
Released2005
RecordedNational Grid, Christchurch, New Zealand
GenresDunedin sound, indie pop, alternative rock
Length42:44
LabelsPocket Music
Little Teddy Recordings
ProducerThe Bats
The Bats chronology
Couchmaster
(1995)		 At the National Grid
(2005)		 The Guilty Office
(2008)
Alternative cover
Alternate cover used on German release
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllmusicStarStarStarStar

At the National Grid is the sixth album by New Zealand band The Bats, released in 2005. It was the band's first album for ten years and the first to be released on a New Zealand label other than Flying Nun Records.

Recording and release

The rhythm tracks were recorded to analogue at The National Grid studio, in Christchurch, New Zealand. The tracks were then digitised with overdubs and mixing by Paul Kean with input from the band. In New Zealand, the album was released on The Bats' own newly formed Pocket Music label. It was released in the US by Magic Marker, in Germany by Little Teddy (with different artwork and also on vinyl), in the UK by Egg Records and in Australia by Reverberation.

Reception

Tim Sendra at Allmusic gave it 4 stars, writing, "...having the group back at such a high level is as refreshing as a plunge into an ice-cold mountain stream." It had airplay on many college radio stations in the US, leading to an appearance at the 2006 SXSW Festival in Austin.

CMJ New Music Monthly said, "Grid celebrates the virtues of patience. Most of its tracks sport the same folk-laced fireside charm as the Bats' earliest work, yet somehow sidestep rehash. Scott's and guitarist Kaye Woodward's voices have aged into wonderful harmonic foils, converting an early band weakness into a newfound strength."

Track listing

All tracks are written by Robert Scott/The Bats, except as noted.

No.TitleLength
1."Western Isles"2:49
2."Horizon"4:43
3."Hubert"2:11
4."The Bells Are Ringing"3:31
5."Single File"3:02
6."Pre War Blues"4:37
7."The Rays"3:13
8."Things I Can't Leave Behind"2:56
9."Mir" (Kaye Woodward)3:27
10."Up To The Sky"2:56
11."We Do Not Kiss The Ones We Kick"2:19
12."The Flowers And The Trees"3:57
13."Crazy Crowd"2:59
Total length:42:44

Personnel

Also credited:

References

  1. 1 2 Sendra, Tim. At the National Grid at AllMusic
  2. ↑ The Bats official website. Retrieved 23 November 2022.
  3. ↑ "The Bats: Media Releases". The Bats. Archived from the original on 30 August 2011. Retrieved 7 December 2011.
  4. ↑ Glen Sarvady. "reviews". CMJ New Music Monthly. No. 135. p. 49.
  5. ↑ "The Bats – at the National Grid (2005, CD)". Discogs. 14 October 2005.